The Witches (2020 film)
| screenplay = | based on = | starring = | music = Alan Silvestri | cinematography = Don Burgess | editing = Jeremiah O'Driscoll | studio = | distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures | released = | runtime = | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} 'The Witches' is an upcoming American dark fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Kenya Barris. It is based on the novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, and is the second feature length adaptation of the novel, following the 1990 film also called ''The Witches. It stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Rock. Premise A little boy stumbles across a conference of witches while staying with his grandmother at a hotel, and gets transformed into a mouse by the Grand High Witch. Cast *Anne Hathaway as Miss Eva Ernst / Grand High Witch *Octavia Spencer *Stanley Tucci *Chris Rock *Codie-Lei Eastick as Bruno Jenkins *Jahzir Bruno *Charles Edwards as Mr. Jenkins *Morgana Robinson as Mrs. Jenkins *Eugenia Caruso as Consuella *Simon Manyonda Production Development Talks of a new adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1983 novel The Witches began in December 2008, when Guillermo del Toro expressed interest in making a stop motion film. No further developments on the potential project emerged until ten years later in June 2018, when Robert Zemeckis was hired to direct and write the script. Del Toro would produce, alongside Zemeckis and Alfonso Cuarón, in addition to having a screenplay credit. It was described by Zemeckis as being closer to the original novel than the 1990 version directed by Nicolas Roeg. Kenya Barris will co write the film, which was revealed as taking place in Alabama during the 1960s, instead of the novel's 1980s England, and that the boy protagonist (originally an English child of Norwegian descent in the novel) is to be played by an African-American actor. Casting In January 2019, Anne Hathaway was cast in the role of Grand High Witch. Octavia Spencer was cast in February, with newcomers Jahzir Bruno and Codie-Lei Eastick also joining. In May, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock were added. Filming Principal photography began on May 8, 2019, with filming locations including Alabama, Georgia and at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England and Virginia Water Lake in Surrey, England. It was expected to wrap on June 25. On June 19, a crew member was stabbed in the neck on the Warner Bros. Studios set in Leavesden. Release The film is scheduled for release on October 9, 2020.‘Tom & Jerry’ Jumps To Christmas 2020, ‘The Witches’ Inches Up A Week Next Fall It was moved up a week from October 16. References External links * Category:2020 films Category:2020 fantasy films Category:2020s fantasy films Category:Dark fantasy films Category:American fantasy films Category:Films about witchcraft Category:Films set in Alabama Category:Films shot in Alabama Category:Films shot in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Films based on children's books Category:Films set in the 1960s Category:Films based on works by Roald Dahl Category:Films with screenplays by Guillermo del Toro Category:Films with screenplays by Robert Zemeckis Category:Films produced by Guillermo del Toro Category:Films directed by Robert Zemeckis Category:ImageMovers films Category:Warner Bros. films Category:Film scores by Alan Silvestri